Everyday practical information for United Arab Emirates

Alcohol, and what changed

Dubai suspended its 30 percent alcohol tax through 2023 and 2024, and reinstated it on 1 January 2025. Prices went back up accordingly.

• You can drink in licensed hotels, bars and restaurants. That is where the alcohol is.
• The legal age is 21 in most emirates and you will be asked for ID.
• Sharjah is completely dry. No alcohol anywhere, including hotels, and possession is an offence.
• Drinking or being drunk in public is illegal everywhere, including in a taxi home.
• Tourists can obtain a free temporary liquor licence through the two retail chains, which allows buying from a shop for private consumption.
• Alcohol is expensive. A pint in a Dubai hotel bar costs what a bottle costs elsewhere.
• Duty free on arrival is the cheap route and there is a generous allowance for non-Muslim visitors.

Ramadan

• In 2027 Ramadan falls across February and March. The dates move each year.
• Do not eat, drink or smoke in public during daylight hours. This includes water, in a car, and chewing gum.
• Restaurants outside hotels are largely closed during the day and hotels screen off dining areas for guests.
• Live music and dancing stop, and clubs close.
• Iftar at sunset is the best food of the year and visitors are genuinely welcome at it.
• Working hours are shortened and traffic just before sunset is dangerous, because everyone is hurrying home to eat.

Dress and conduct

• Cover shoulders and knees in public, particularly in malls, souks and government buildings. Some malls turn people away.
• Swimwear is for the beach and the pool only.
• The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque provides abayas and has a firm dress code.
• Use your right hand for eating, greeting and passing things.
• Do not photograph local women or families without clear permission.
• Public displays of affection are an offence. Save it for the room.

Everyday

• Electricity is 220 to 240 V at 50 Hz with UK-style three-pin plugs. Bring a UK adapter.
• The weekend is Saturday and Sunday, and the working week is Monday to Friday with a half day on Friday for the midday prayer. Sharjah works a four-day week.
• Friday midday is quiet for an hour or two while prayers happen.
• Everything is air conditioned and cold, so carry a layer even in August.
• Malls are the public space here. They are where people walk, eat and meet, and they are open late.
• Arabic is the official language and English is the working one. Almost everyone you deal with speaks English, and roughly 88 percent of the population is foreign-born.
• Tap water is safe, bottled is normal, and both are cheap.